Cork-extractor.



No. 64M". Patnted Ian. 9, I900. H. HUNGERFORD.

CORK EXTRACTOR.

(Application filed Oct. 2, 1899.)

(No Model.)

'TATESI trick.

PATENT CORK EXTRACTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent N 0. 641,111, dated January 9, 1906. Application filed October 2,1899. serial No. 722,278. on man.)

To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HUNGERFORD, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Oork-Extractors and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute a part of this specification, and represent, in-- Figure 1, a perspective view of my improved cork-extractor; Fig. 2, a side view illustrating their use for extracting corks from the interior of a bottle.

This invention relates to an improvement in cork-extractors, and particularly to that class in which two thin substantially flat jaws or blades are employed, which blades are adapted to be inserted on opposite sides of the cork between the cork and the neck of the bottle and so that the cork may be grasped and withdrawn from the bottle without mutilating the cork.

The object of thisinvention is to produce an extractor of this character which may be easily inserted between the cork and the neck of the bottle when the cork is located in the neck, and also a device by which corks which have been forced into the bottle may be readily removed; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

As shown in the drawings, the device is substantially like a pair of pliers; and it consists of a thin substantially flat jaw or blade A, formed at the outer end of a handle B, and a similar jaw or blade 0, formed at the outer end of a handle I), the handles being pivoted together at E, and so that the blades when closed stand side by side, but at a slight distance apart. As shown, the jaws are so thin that they are somewhat flexible. Preferably one of the blades, as O, is longer than the other, and the points are drawn to a sharp edge, and preferably the inner faces of the blades are roughened. The portions of the blades for a short distance beyond the pivot are made heavier or curved inward, so that their inner faces meet, and the inner ends of the handles near the pivot are substantially turned the handles will be drawn together.

In extracting a cork from a bottle in which the cork is located in the neck and nearly flush with the outer edge thereof the blades will be inserted on opposite sides of the cork, as in the usual manner of this kind of extractors, and forced inward until a firm grip is secured upon the cork, when by a slight rota tion the cork may be easily withdrawn. If the cork has been forced entirely into the bot tle, as shown in Fig. 2, the bottle will be in=' Verted and the extractor inserted through the neck thereof, the straight portions of the device permitting the' extractor to be inserted into a bottle having a long neck. When thus inserted, the blades are opened, and they may be opened to a considerable distance owing to the inward curvature at the inner ends of the blades. When thus opened, the bottle is moved to cause the cork to fall between the blades, where it is readily grasped and may be then easily withdrawn from the bottle. It will be seen, therefore, that the curvature at the inner end of the blades and the straight portion of the handles adjacent to the pivot are quite essential in extracting corks from bottles when the cork has been forced entirely into the bottle, as otherwise if the blades bowed directly outward from the pivot they could not be opened inside the bottle to as great an extent as is possible with my construction.

It is apparent that for many purposes the extractor might be used without this curvature in the blades and without the straight portion in the handles. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the exact form shown, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. V

I am aware that it is old to form the jaws of pliers so that they will normally stand with their adjacent faces separated, and Iam also aware that it is old to differentiate the length of the jaws, and therefore do not wish to be understood as claiming such as my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A cork-extractor comprising two handles pivoted together, a thin substantially fiat and flexible blade extending outward from each handle, one of the said blades longer than the other, and the blades reversely bowed outward, substantially as described.

2. A cork-extractor comprising two handles pivoted together,and a thin substantially fiat and flexible blade extending outward from each handle, the said blades reversely bowed outward, the portions of the handles adjacent to the pivot substantially straight,

HENRY I-IUNGERFORD.

Witnesses:

FRED. O. EARLE, LILLIAN D. KELsEY. 

